5 Top Tips For Successful Remote Working

A remote job, otherwise called working from home every day, could be the ideal type of flexible working for professionals looking for a work-life balance. To be happy and successful in your remote job, we recommend you follow some remote working guidelines.

Here are some top tips for anyone wanting to work from home successfully.

1) Create a designated workspace for remote working

Choose a permanent space for a desk where you can settle on the days you work from home. Make sure it’s a quiet area, so you can focus on your remote job without any distractions. A desk light and a comfortable, padded chair is important for remote working because you might be sitting for long periods. Gather together everything you would need for a normal day in the office and keep it at your desk. It’s best to avoid working from home at your kitchen table, or from the coffee table in front of the sofa – a designated space with a desk is ideal for a flexible working lifestyle. Don’t forget curtains or a blind if you’re working from home near a window, to stop the glare from the sun on your screen.

2) Get all the tech for hassle-free remote working

Having the right technology at home is essential for your company to agree to flexible working. When working from home, everyone needs fast internet and a good laptop or desktop computer with secure access to your company’s system - without a reliable internet connection, your ideal remote job will turn into a nightmare! Does your company expect you to have a printer, scanner, headphones etc for remote working? Professionals that work remotely are often provided with technology such as company laptops and company phones, so it’s worth asking your employer what tech they will provide to assist you in working from home successfully.

3) Set your remote working hours

Working from home can be incredibly rewarding when you draw a clear boundary between work time and personal time. Remote working involves being quite strict with yourself about when your working day begins and ends. Professionals with remote jobs must also remember to take regular breaks during the day, especially a proper lunch break to eat a healthy meal and refresh. Having a home office means you could continue working from home well into the night, which defeats the point of a flexible working lifestyle. Switch off your laptop and work phone the end of your working day to ensure your remote job doesn’t eat into your personal time at home.

4) Make the most of your personal time when remote working

Working from home has many benefits, one of which is not having to commute to work. Many professionals in remote jobs use this time to prepare a healthy breakfast, go for a run, or walk the dog in the park. They might drop their kids at school or even have some extra time in bed. Remote working doesn’t mean you should start work early just because you don’t have to commute – it means you regularly have more time to do what you enjoy. Remember, a key benefit of flexible working is work-life balance, giving you the freedom to create a working day that best suits you.

5) Make time to socialise away from remote working

The down-side of working from home full time is that you are generally on your own all week. It’s often why professionals choose flexible working, where they perhaps go into the office for 3 days and work from home two days a week. However, if you have a fully remote job, it’s really important to talk to people – not just via a screen during virtual meetings when you’re working from home, but talking to people face to face. Take the opportunity to go into the office to see work colleagues occasionally for a change of scene, and meet up with friends away from your remote job to let your hair down. Remote working only brings work-life balance if we remember we are social animals that must meet up with real people for our wellbeing.